The Brewers’ inability to trade first baseman Prince Fielder to the White Sox underscores the difficulty of moving Fielder in the current market.

The teams exchanged thoughts on Fielder before the White Sox reached an agreement with free agent Adam Dunn on Thursday. But the talks failed to advance beyond the exploratory stages, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

The White Sox chose to sign Dunn for $56 million over four years and forfeit a high draft pick rather than give up the quality pitching the Brewers desired.

Few teams are deep in pitching, and the White Sox are approaching a critical stage; both left-hander Mark Buehrle and righty Edwin Jackson are free agents after next season.

Amid such uncertainty, it's difficult for the White Sox to trade a younger pitcher such as right-hander Gavin Floyd, who's signed to an affordable contract that could tie him to the club through 2013.

Market forces, then, are conspiring against the Brewers.

Pitching is scarce. The free-agent market is flush with first base/DH types, and Fielder’s contract is the baseball equivalent of a hot potato.

Fielder stands to earn a significant raise from $10.5 million in arbitration next season, then become a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, rarely agrees to contract extensions, preferring his clients’ values to be established by the open market.

Thus, any team that gets Fielder likely will keep him for only one season, and few teams are willing to part with the pitching the Brewers would require.

Brandon McCarthy used to be one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Even now, he’s only 27 years old.

He spent the 2010 season in the minor leagues and/or on the disabled list, so his salary demands aren’t high. But he has thrown very well in the Dominican Winter League: 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four starts.

Combine those factors, and you have a buy-low frenzy for teams in need of rotation help.

McCarthy has been scouted heavily in recent weeks, with the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers among the teams having interest, according to a major-league source.

When healthy, McCarthy was effective this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Texas organization (4-2, 3.36 ERA). But a stress fracture in his right shoulder limited him to just 56 1/3 innings. That is the same injury that hampered his throwing arm in the past.

Clubs may view McCarthy as being similar to another recent Rangers discard: right-hander Rich Harden. With both pitchers, the output can be very good, but the quantity of innings is a major question.

One consideration in McCarthy’s favor: He isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2012 season, so the team that signs him this winter theoretically will have two years of control.

Here's the best reason yet to think the Brewers will try hard to trade first baseman Prince Fielder or second baseman Rickie Weeks.

The team won't aggressively pursue a starting pitcher through free agency, said a source with knowledge of the club's thinking.

The reason: The Brewers have fared poorly in their free-agent pitching decisions in recent years and don't want to get burned again.

Also, the market beyond left-hander Cliff Lee is thin. Righty Carl Pavano and lefty Jorge De La Rosa, a pitcher the Brewers once traded for Tony Graffanino, are among the top remaining choices.

Trades, then, would be the only way for the club to improve its rotation, which last season ranked next to last in the NL in ERA.

Fielder and Weeks are eligible for free agency at the end of next season. The Brewers also are open to trading other players such as third baseman Casey McGehee and prospects such as second baseman Brett Lawrie.

The interest in Fielder, in particular, might not be what the Brewers desire. Fielder stands to earn a significant raise from $10.5 million in his final year of arbitration, and his agent, Scott Boras, almost always seeks market value in free agency.

The Brewers plan to explore a contract extension with Weeks, who's represented by Greg Genske. But Weeks, like Fielder, might prefer to determine his value in free agency.